Jan Carson

From the award-winning author of The Raptures and The Fire Starters, a magically surreal novel about history, identity and redemption'A stunningly original novel... one of the most imaginative and talented Irish writers at work today' Rois n O Donnell, author of Nesting'No writer captures the absurdity and beauty of life quite like [Jan Carson] does' Sara Baume, author of Seven SteeplesWarm, sharp and gloriously funny' Sarah Moss, author of RipenessHer best book yet Heather Parry, author of Carrion Crowe___It s summer 2017 and the last few residents of the Lough Neagh Archipelago are facing imminent eviction. The flood planned to combat a devastating algae outbreak will submerge their homes, forcing them back to the Mainland for the first time in fifty years.Robert-John and Marion Connolly came to the islands as children in the 1970s, following their mercurial father, an anthropologist studying the unique society that had developed there. For many, the Neagh Archipelago represented a utopia, a chance to be free of the prejudices and history of Troubles era Northern Ireland.But perhaps this utopia wasn t all that it seemed.Marion and Robert-John have grown accustomed to their haunted existence on the Ark, monitoring the mysterious Far Side, where ghostly figures linger and the land swallows secrets whole. How will they cope with a new life on the Mainland? Is it possible to leave the past behind? And will the Ark ever let them go..._____No one writes like Jan Carson. Surreal times call for surreal stories, and Few and Far Between packages history, horror and redemption in her signature combination of humour and grace.Sheila Armstrong, author of Falling Animals'Jan Carson is a born storyteller: her work is so imaginative, whimsical, mischievous and brave, but tender and curious too you never know where she's going to take you next, so reading her is always an adventure.' Lisa McInerney, author of The Glorious Heresies'Jan Carson is a unique and very special writer, one of the greatest of the modern fabulists' Donal Ryan, author of Heart be at Peace'One of the most exciting and original Northern Irish writers of her generation.' Sunday Times

In 1958 soon-to-be Northern Irish Prime Minister Terrence O’Neill proposed draining Lough Neagh, (the largest lake in the UK), in order to create a seventh county for the North. O’Neill was widely mocked for his ludicrous idea. In Few and Far Between, Belfast-based writer, Jan Carson’s fourth novel, she imagines an alternative history in which O’Neill’s drainage scheme proceeds, exposing an archipelago of tiny islands in the middle of Lough Neagh, (which really exist). The Neagh Archipelago provides sanctuary for dozens of individuals intimidated out of their homes during the “Troubles,” and at first becomes a kind of haven for people who want to love a different life, who don’t fit in on the mainland. One timeline tells of the growth of this community and the flamboyant social anthropologist, Robert John Connelly, who arrives in the 1970s to document the residents’ lives and becomes something of a guru figure who never leaves.The second timeline begins in 2017, when the new government proposes to release the dams, and flood the archipelago once more. Most of the families have now abandoned the islands and only a few remain, including Marion and Robert, the now-adult children of RJ Connelly. The island has also become home to ‘sleepers’ and ‘almost deads’, those caught in a hinterland between life and death. Before the dams are destroyed and the floods descend, a second anthropologist is sent to the islands. But there are secrets buried on these islands that no one remaining wants her to discover.

‘Jan Carson is a born storyteller: her work is so imaginative, whimsical, mischievous and brave, but tender and curious too — you never know where she's going to take you next, so reading her is always an adventure. Exactly how it should be.’ LISA MCINERNEY, author of THE GLORIOUS HERESIES'Pure magic, funny, sharp, heartbreaking, the short form at its absolute best. Jan Carson is a unique and very special writer, one of the greatest of the modern fabulists. - DONAL RYAN author of HEART BE AT PEACE------In sixteen sparkling stories, Jan Carson introduces us to worlds and characters that feel real enough to touch. All of life is here: the thrill of growing up, the grief when youth is over; first love, mature love, parenthood and loss - all shot through with profound compassion, warm wit, and boundless imagination. In 'A Certain Degree of Ownership', a distracted couple on a beach fail to notice their baby crawl perilously towards the sea. In 'Troubling the Water', a rumour spreads at a public swimming pool and chaos ensues. In 'Fair Play' a dishevelled father loses his two sons in an adventure park. Every so often, an irresistible suggestion of the other world will surprise and delight, reaffirming Carson as a thrillingly original and audacious talent, and making Quickly, While They Still Have Horses the perfect introduction for readers new to her work.

Read the debut short story collection from the multi-award-winning author of The Raptures, now updated with a new bonus story. 'Jan Carson is a born storyteller' Lisa McInerneyA floating six-year-old tethered to the backyard fence; two siblings watching their parents argue inside a greenhouse; a human statue who’s lost the ability to move; a support group for the haunted: the characters in Children’s Children are all falling apart in their own peculiar ways. Told in Jan Carson’s distinctive voice, her debut short story collection contains absurdist, darkly humorous and heartbreaking stories which explore the concept of legacy, and the impact of one generation upon the next. --PRAISE FOR JAN CARSON:'These stories are pure magic, funny, sharp, heartbreaking, the short form at its absolute best. Jan Carson is a unique and very special writer, one of the greatest of the modern fabulists' DONAL RYAN, author of Heart, Be at Peace'Story after story glints with the strange, hard magic of the North . . . I adored them.' LUCY CALDWELL, author of These Days'Jan Carson's stories are by turns hilarious, heartbreaking, heartwarming - but always surprising' ERIC NGUYEN, author of Things We Lost to the Water'Jan Carson is one of the most original voices I’ve read in years . . . I am truly in awe of this collection' TANIA JAMES, author of The Tusk That Did the Damage'What an enormous pleasure it is to read Jan Carson. Each short story is masterful, brilliantly inventive and moving. Every page reveals the mark of an extraordinary original and gifted writer' KARL GEARY, author of Montpelier Parade

Dr. Jonathan Murray attól tart, hogy újszülött lánya talán nem is olyan ártatlan, amilyennek tűnik.Sammy Agnew sötét múltjával hadakozik, és attól fél, hogy a vérében lévő erőszak ott bujkál a fiában is.A város lángokban áll, a hatóságok kezéből kezd kicsúszni az ellenőrzés. Lassan eluralkodik az őrület, és elmosódnak a határok képzelet és igazság, jó és rossz között. Vajon kit véd majd meg ez a két apa?A varázslatos és csodás, ugyanakkor sötét, mozgalmas és izgatóan eredeti történet az ádáz családi szeretetről és áldozatról szól.A regény 2019-ben megkapta az Európai Unió Irodalmi Díját.